Palm Beach County School Board and superintendent try to avoid power struggle

April 4, 2012|By Marc Freeman, Sun Sentinel

Palm Beach County School Board members and Superintendent Wayne Gent on Wednesday discussed their various powers and duties, and the best ways to serve the community and educate children.

It was the first time since Gent's surprise appointment in mid-February to a three-year term that the board and schools chief hashed out their roles and responsibilities to avoid stepping on each other's toes.

"If you've got 11 quarterbacks, on the field you don't necessarily win the game, even if they are 11 good quarterbacks," said Sharon Hartsell, a facilitator with the Florida Schools Boards Association.

During a four-hour session, Hartsell walked six of the seven board members and Gent through steps they should follow to become an effective "leadership team."

"Right now you are more a group than you are a team," said Hartsell, a former School Board member from St. John's County.

Board member Monroe Benaim was absent from the meeting in the boardroom at district headquarters in Palm Springs. He has not yet announced whether he will seek reelection this year to his District 1 seat.

Board Chairman Frank Barbieri in District 5 and board member Chuck Shaw in District 2 are planning to run for new terms this summer; terms for the other four board seats run through November 2014.

So there's a good chance the current board and district administration finally will have the stability lacking since this board ousted former Superintendent Art Johnson in February 2011.

"We have a permanent superintendent who can get us moving in the right direction," board member Jennifer Prior Brown said.

Part of Wednesday's dialogue covered the management structure in the district, which has about 21,000 employees, 175,000 students and ranks as the 11th-largest by enrollment in the nation.

It's the board's job to set policies, approve the budget and create a "positive climate for student success," while Gent is expected to implement the policies, hire and evaluate staff, and propose a budget, Hartsell explained.

Both the board and superintendent are supposed to serve as advocates for the school system. For board members, this means collaborating with families and community organizations, and for Gent it means keeping the public informed and enabling the community to have input on district decisions.

Board members were advised against meddling with the administration of schools, which prompted an exchange about whether board members should be allowed to show up on campuses without calling principals in advance.

Vice Chairwoman Debra Robinson said she wants to "reserve the right to go unannounced" for a real picture of what's happening at a school and not a "dog and pony show."

In other business Wednesday, the board approved the appointment of Janis Andrews as the district's new chief academic officer. Andrews, who was assistant superintendent for curriculum and learning support, was a recent finalist for the job of superintendent.

The top academic post became open because Judith Klinek is retiring later this year. Klinek will help with Andrews' transition.